Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty are the final arguments for the Heisman Trophy as both dominate in the final games of the regular season

CNN
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Two-way superstar Travis Hunter of Colorado and standout running back Ashton Jeanty of Boise State made their final bids for the 2024 Heisman Trophy in their final games of the college football regular season on Friday.

Hunter, who has grabbed headlines as both a wide receiver and cornerback, filled the stat sheet on both sides of the ball as the 9-3 Buffaloes defeated Oklahoma State 52-0, while Jeanty made even more history as the no .11 Broncos defeated Oregon State 34-18, improves to 11-1.

The Heisman Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding player in college football, has been dominated by quarterbacks in recent years, with QBs winning the trophy in 12 of the last 15 seasons.

The last wide receiver to win the award was Devonta Smith in 2020, and a running back hasn’t won the trophy since former NFL Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry won it in 2015. Both players had their Heisman seasons under legendary head coach Nick Saban at Alabama.

Hunter caught three touchdowns against Oklahoma State and totaled 116 yards, his seventh game of the season with at least 100 yards. On defense he was able to intercept and break up two passes.

“I think Travis won the Heisman with his performance,” said Colorado head coach and former NFL cornerback Deion Sanders, also known as “Coach Prime.”

“You’ve never seen this before. He is the best player in college football. You could find ways to hate him, criticize him, judge him, and you won’t look professional because now you’re just looking for something. Travis Hunter has proven today and every week that he is the best player in college football.”

“There’s no argument at this point,” added Sanders’ son and Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders. “It’s crazy, the consistency he has. I think that’s what the award is about.”

Hunter’s dominant performance capped a memorable regular season that will likely see him selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft next year. Over the course of the season, he recorded 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 15 touchdowns, but also dominated the defense, making 31 tackles, collecting four interceptions and forcing a fumble.

The dynamic Jeanty has emerged as his main rival and the 20-year-old put in a confident performance on Friday. He carried the ball a career-high 37 times and rushed for 226 yards and a touchdown in the victory.

Jeanty totaled 2,390 all-purpose yards for the season, surpassing Jay Ajayi’s previous record set in 2014 for the most yards in a single season in Boise State history, according to the school. He also set a program record with his 28th TD of the year and became the Mountain West Conference single-season record holder for rushing yards with 2,288.

Jeanty made sure to honor his team after the game.

“It felt great. Not just for me but for the team,” Jeanty said during his on-field interview after the game. “The personal success I have had is not only due to myself, but also to the success of the team. Great offensive and defensive game.”

He has proven nearly unstoppable this year, drawing national attention. Even Shedeur Sanders found time to talk about Jeanty in his postgame press conference on Friday, saying the running back did an “amazing job.”

The Heisman Trophy winner will be announced in a ceremony on December 14th.